Grant

McCray

Giants’ skipper Tony Vitello had hinted last week that Eldridge could open the season at Triple-A so that he could continue playing every day rather than functioning in a platoon role with the Giants, so this doesn’t come as a major surprise. He’ll definitely get a chance with the Giants at some point during the 2026 campaign.

The 24-year-old outfielder has sruggled in his limited chances with the Giants over the past two seasons, slashing a meager .188/.220/.354 with five homers, 11 RBI and a 66/6 K/BB ratio over 151 plate appearances. It’s unlikely that he garners enough playing time down the stretch to gain relevancy for fantasy purposes.

McCray has been jettisoned to the minors after going 2-for-20 in 10 contests since being called up back on August 1. The 24-year-old rookie will get another opportunity at some point, but the club will roll with Luis Matos instead for now.

Trading Mike Yastrzemski and then not giving Matos a real shot is an odd choice. The Giants, though, will probably go with a platoon of Grant McCray and Jerar Encarnacion in right field for now. Matos, 23, has hit .167/.208/.351 in 120 major league plate appearances this season. He’s played less for the Giants this year and last year than he did as a 21-year-old rookie in 2023 (.250/.319/.342 in 253 PA).

With Mike Yastrzemski dealt to the Royals at Thursday’s trade deadline the Giants had an opening for an outfielder on their roster which gives McCray another chance with the big league club. The 24-year-old has hit .260/.338/.430 with 14 long balls, 63 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 468 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. He is not in the team’s starting lineup for Friday night’s battle against the Mets.

McCray and Brett Wisely both get the boot from the roster, so it appears that Luis Matos has won a spot on the bench for the Giants. McCray will likely be up-and-down whenever the Giants need an extra outfielder, although Wisely could be that first name called.

It’s a brutal development for Encarnacion, who was in the midst of a strong spring at the dish before suffering the injury earlier this week during a Cactus League contest while attempting to make a diving catch. He’s facing a multi-week absence, and will undergo additional testing and evaluation this weekend to determine whether surgery is required, according to a team statement. There should be some clarity on his status later this weekend, but fantasy managers should anticipate him remaining on the shelf until at least late April or early May. His absence should result in an uptick in playing time for Luis Matos and Grant McCray, but their fantasy-relevance is limited to extremely deep mixed leagues and NL-only formats.

It’ll be Grant McCray taking over in center field. It sounds like merely a precautionary move, but fantasy managers should monitor Lee’s status in the coming days since back issues can be tricky matters, especially this close to Opening Day.

McCray got on-base three times out of the leadoff spot in this one and is up to four thefts on the spring. The 24-year-old speedster hit .202 with five homers and five steals in 37 contests last year for the Giants. There isn’t a clear path to a bench spot in the big leagues right now, but he’s going to make it difficult for San Francisco to ship him out if he keeps hitting in Cactus League games.

McCray’s athleticism is so evident in his game. He blazed around the bases on his triple which scored the Giants’ first run and he came around to score on a Brett Wisely single for their second and final run. He hasn’t hit much with just a .678 OPS since being called up, but is a great defender in center field which might keep him in the mix to become a regular beyond this season.